Help with liqueured fruit please

[sartoric]

About two weeks ago I made a jar of oranges in brandy.  I think the seal is bad and the fruit has started fermenting. There’s a few bubbles and a slightly sour smell, the taste is still sweet.
 

The oranges were off our tree (no spray) and it’s a simple no cook recipe that calls for sugar, brandy and spices. The jar was sterilised. 

What would you do ? Is there a way to rescue them, are they still safe to eat ?

Any advice will be much appreciated.

[MokaPot]

I think you're correct in that fermentation has begun. I would place the bottle in the refrigerator right away, maybe even swap out the container. Yes, I'd drink / eat it. I have kind of an iron stomach, though, knock on wood.

 

For future projects, I'd pour more brandy or liquid in there, i.e., no oranges or cinnamon bark exposed to the air (everything submerged).

[sartoric]

33 minutes ago, MokaPot said:

I think you're correct in that fermentation has begun. I would place the bottle in the refrigerator right away, maybe even swap out the container. Yes, I'd drink / eat it. I have kind of an iron stomach, though, knock on wood.

 

For future projects, I'd pour more brandy or liquid in there, i.e., no oranges or cinnamon bark exposed to the air (everything submerged).

Thank you ! 
 

I suspect the problem started when we, err, sampled a bit on Monday evening, thus leaving fruit and bark exposed. It’s now in the fridge, will see how we go. Fellow cast ironers here. 

[blue_dolphin]

27 minutes ago, sartoric said:

It’s now in the fridge, will see how we go

 

If you've got something in a glass bottle with a wire bale closure and think the contents may have begun to ferment, I'd recommend leaving the wire bale closure open or at least place the bottle into a secondary container large enough to contain the contents in case the bottle fails.

I almost put this over in the "I will never...." thread but forgot.  I recently had a liter of elderflower cordial distribute itself all over the inside of my fridge.  It was on the top shelf, in the back and ended up all over everything on every shelf, including all the door bins.  You don't want to clean up a sticky mess like that!

 

[sartoric]

35 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

If you've got something in a glass bottle with a wire bale closure and think the contents may have begun to ferment, I'd recommend leaving the wire bale closure open or at least place the bottle into a secondary container large enough to contain the contents in case the bottle fails.

I almost put this over in the "I will never...." thread but forgot.  I recently had a liter of elderflower cordial distribute itself all over the inside of my fridge.  It was on the top shelf, in the back and ended up all over everything on every shelf, including all the door bins.  You don't want to clean up a sticky mess like that!

 

Ran to fridge and undid the clasp. Thank you !

[rotuts]

A long time ago , my mother used to make a Finish drink called

 

Sima

 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/finnish-spring-mead-sima-2952646

 

I thought it was called Simi , but that didn't come up

 

we had it in Finland  and its easy to make

 

she used Safeway's brand BrowbDerby beer bottles , w a screw top

 

that's what my father drank.

 

its  a lightly fermented ted lemonade  , w a hint of raisins

 

to make ke it , you needed a tight container so  the CO₂ generated by the yeast

 

made it slightly bubbly .   

 

she made a case full at a time   ( Brown Derby 1 qt bottles )

 

it fermented in the pantry for s certain period at room temp

 

you chilled it in the refrigerator , the drank it

 

it was nice

 

then one day a bottle , in the evening , exploded in the pantry

 

no more Simi or Sima was made

 

fermentation releases CO₂

 

thus champagne 

 

you want bubbles , get a sturdy container 

 

that's shy champaign bottle are thicker than regular wine

 

if you dont want bubbles , vent the container

 

simple

 

 

 

 

[sartoric]

On 7/11/2020 at 4:44 PM, rotuts said:

A long time ago , my mother used to make a Finish drink called

 

Sima

 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/finnish-spring-mead-sima-2952646

 

I thought it was called Simi , but that didn't come up

 

we had it in Finland  and its easy to make

 

she used Safeway's brand BrowbDerby beer bottles , w a screw top

 

that's what my father drank.

 

its  a lightly fermented ted lemonade  , w a hint of raisins

 

to make ke it , you needed a tight container so  the CO₂ generated by the yeast

 

made it slightly bubbly .   

 

she made a case full at a time   ( Brown Derby 1 qt bottles )

 

it fermented in the pantry for s certain period at room temp

 

you chilled it in the refrigerator , the drank it

 

it was nice

 

then one day a bottle , in the evening , exploded in the pantry

 

no more Simi or Sima was made

 

fermentation releases CO₂

 

thus champagne 

 

you want bubbles , get a sturdy container 

 

that's shy champaign bottle are thicker than regular wine

 

if you dont want bubbles , vent the container

 

simple

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the info @rotuts.
 

Anyways, it went in the fridge with lid ajar. Tonight I felt brave enough to try it. Slightly sour, but also sweet from the sugar and brandy.  We ate the oranges with a little pouring cream from the local dairy farmer.
Sorry I didn’t take a photo, but imagine a few orange segments with thin cream and there it is.

Hoping we don’t get sick and die tonight xx.